The result of the elections within Romania's main opposition party the Democrat Liberal Party (PDL), which took place over the weekend, triggered a reaction from the country's president, himself a former leader of PDL, and caused the second runner to appeal the results.

The existing leader of the PDL Vasile Blaga (in picture) won the majority of votes, but Elena Udrea, the former Tourism Minister, who came second and needed just a couple of hundred votes to beat Blaga, appealed the result of the vote, saying some irregularities have been found. She asked for a second round of voting between her and Blaga, according to the Romanian media.

Romanian president Traian Basescu attended the PDL meeting and gave a speech during the vote, but did not openly favor any candidate, although he did let the audience understand his favorite was not the existing party president. After the result of the vote was out, he announced that he would say 'goodbye forever' to the PDL.

Pundits suggested that Emil Boc, the former leader of the party, now the mayor of Cluj – Napoca and Elena Udrea might spin off a wing of the party into a new party, preparing it for when the president Traian Basescu ends his mandate in 2014.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Vasile Blaga on Facebook)